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Home » European Desserts

Authentic Italian Tiramisu Recipe

Published: May 17, 2019 Last updated on July 31, 2023 Author: Sabine / This post may contain affiliate links

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Master the Art of Tiramisu

This tiramisu recipe is quick and easy to make, and you only need 6 ingredients to make this no-bake espresso-flavored dessert. It's a readers' favorite and very popular with my family. The super creamy and smooth melt-in-your-mouth texture is just dreamy, and enjoying this classic Italian dessert will make you believe you are sitting in an authentic Italian cafe in Rome. By the way, have you tried my Panna Cotta?

Two slices of tiramisu on two plates with a whipped cream and cocoa decoration on top
Jump to:
  • Ingredients notes and substitutions
  • Non-traditional ingredients variations
  • Photo instructions
  • Top tips for success
  • FAQs
  • Storing and freezing instructions
  • More European desserts to try
  • Recipe

Ingredients notes and substitutions

Eggs

If you want to make this espresso-flavored dessert how Italians make it, you will want to use raw egg yolks. However, if you don't want to consume (raw, unpasteurized) eggs, you have a few options.

  • Use pasteurized eggs - If you find pasteurized eggs in the store you can consume them raw safely because they have already been heated within the shells. It's hard to find them in the store though and are not widely available.
  • Lightly cook the egg yolks and sugar - In this case, mix the mascarpone with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, then set aside. To cook the egg yolks and sugar, you can use a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, place a heat-proof bowl on top of a pot filled up 2 inches (5cm) high with simmering water. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar continuously until foamy and light for about 5 minutes. Then remove from the heat and add to the mascarpone cheese and mix until creamy and combined.
  • Skip the eggs - If you don't want to use eggs at all, mix the mascarpone cheese until creamy for about 1-2 minutes. Then add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth, combined, and sugar is dissolved for about 2-3 minutes. Keep in mind that without the egg yolks, you have less cream. In this case, I recommend making just a two-layered Tiramisu or add ½ cup (120ml) of whipping cream to the mascarpone mixture and whisk until peaks form.

Espresso

  • I usually pick up espresso at my favorite coffee shop as I can't replicate the taste of a professional coffee machine at home. Espresso is the coffee of choice in authentic Italian Tiramisu. If you pick up espresso at a coffee shop, keep in mind to need about ½ - 1 cup to soak the ladyfingers in.
  • However, if you have an awesome coffee machine at home, you can absolutely use your favorite strong-brewed coffee instead. 
  • Also, coffee granules or instant coffee dissolved in hot water work. Actually, every type of coffee works for this recipe. Since coffee is such an integral part of this dessert, only use coffee that you like the taste of.
  • If you want to serve this dessert to kids or people that are sensitive to caffeine, you can use either de-caffeinated coffee or use hot cocoa instead.

Ladyfingers

  • For this authentic Tiramisu recipe, you need hard Italian ladyfingers (Savoiardi).
  • Soft ladyfingers tend to get soggy because they soak much more coffee than hard ones. So, you would really need to be very fast in dipping the ladyfingers into the coffee that you, first, have enough coffee for all three layers of ladyfingers, and second, that you don't end up with a watery dessert at the end.

Mascarpone

  • I recommend using quality mascarpone. My favorites are BelGioioso and Galbani. Mascarpone can be tricky to work with as it can curdle very quickly within seconds.
Half eaten tiramisu slices on grey plates with spoons

Non-traditional ingredients variations

Dark Rum

Though adding rum is not traditional, it's popular and common. You could also add Amaretto liquor or brandy. You can either add 2 tablespoon (30ml) to the coffee where you dip the ladyfingers in or add 1 tablespoon (15ml) to the mascarpone cream or both.

Whipping Cream

If you want to add whipping cream to your mascarpone cream, you can add ½ cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream after mixing the mascarpone mixture and mix on medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes until peaks form.

Also, you can add whipped cream on top of the chilled Tiramisu before you dust it with cocoa. To recreate a beautiful top, as shown in my pictures, just pipe little dollops of whipped cream on top. I used a Wilton 1A round tip with my piping bag.

Photo instructions

First, start by mixing the egg yolks and sugar until white and creamy, and the sugar is completely dissolved. This takes about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer on medium-high speed.

mixing egg yolks and sugar with hand mixer in glass bowl

Then, add the mascarpone cheese and mix on medium-low speed just until smooth, creamy, and combined about 1 minute. Note: Use the mascarpone straight out of the fridge when adding it to the egg yolk mixture. Be careful not to overmix the mascarpone mixture.

mixing mascarpone, egg yolks, and sugar in glass bowl with mixer

When you are done mixing, the mascarpone cream should look like in the picture below. The consistency is smooth and creamy but not fluffy or airy like whipped cream.

close up of the texture of the mascarpone filling in a glass bowl

Next, dip about 9-12 ladyfingers in espresso and arrange in the bottom of a 9x7x3 or 8x8x3 inches (23x18x8 or 20x20x8 cm) baking dish or casserole until fully covered. How many ladyfingers you need depends on the size of the ladyfingers as well as the dish used.

a layer of espresso soaked ladyfingers in glass baking dish

Then spread about ⅓ of the mascarpone mixture on top until evenly covered. You can do this with the back of a spoon or with an offset spatula.

spreading mascarpone mixture on top of coffee soaked ladyfingers layer in glass dish

Repeat the process of dipping the ladyfingers, arranging them in the casserole, and spreading mascarpone on top two more times and even the top.

evening mascarpone with the back of a spoon in a glass dish

Wrap the casserole with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 8-12 hours. Before you serve it, dust it with cocoa.

I finished my Tiramisu dessert with a layer of whipped cream that I piped on top of the chilled dessert and then dusted it with cocoa. It's not part of the recipe, and I did it just out of decoration purposes. From the taste point of view, it doesn't really matter if the whipped cream is on top or not.

Decorative picture of styled dessert in glass baking dish

Top tips for success

  • Use a large mixing bowl for mixing the mascarpone mixture. This makes it less likely to overmix the mascarpone.
  • I recommend using only fresh eggs. If an egg doesn't look or smell fresh, please don't use it.
  • I don't recommend soaking the ladyfingers in coffee for too long. It makes the dessert watery. Just dip them on both sides quickly.
  • Wrap the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap so that no air or odors from the fridge can get inside the Tiramisu.
  • It is best eaten on the second day. The taste is getting better and the consistency creamier when you give it time to rest in the fridge overnight.

FAQs

What is Tiramisu?

Italian tiramisu is a no-bake espresso-flavored dessert. It's made of coffee-dipped ladyfingers with sweetened mascarpone cream and dusted with cocoa before serving.

Why did my mascarpone mixture curdle?

Mascarpone may curdle and looks like cottage cheese within a couple of seconds after starting mixing. It can be very quickly overmixed because of its high-fat content. So, if this ever happens to you, you are not alone. This can happen to everybody and is not related to this recipe particularly.

Here are my top tips to either avoid or fix curdled mascarpone:

1. Buy mascarpone cream that contains nothing but (milk,) cream, and citric acid and has a high-fat content - around 42g out of 100g. Don't buy any low-light or substitute product.

2. Mascarpone should be used cold and straight out of the fridge.

3. Use a large mixing bowl so that you have enough place to mix the mascarpone.

4. Mix the cream on medium speed and just long enough until smooth and combined.

5. If your mascarpone did curdle, you can still save it by transferring the mixture to a microwave-safe bowl and carefully warming it up or by using a double boiler and whisking until smooth. I read some more excellent tips on the Food52 website on that topic.

Why is my Tiramisu watery?

The reason why it can be watery is when the ladyfingers are soaked for too long and are already soggy when arranged in the baking dish. As the dessert cools, the excess coffee in the ladyfingers will run into the cream and make the dessert watery.

My recommendations to either avoid a watery dessert or fix it:

1. Please make sure that you dip them on both sides quickly so that just the outside of the ladyfingers is soft, but the inside is still solid when you arrange them in the pan.

2. If your dessert is watery, you can just try to transfer the Tiramisu to a clean and dry container and remove the excess liquid.

Storing and freezing instructions

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Please be sure to wrap the baking dish very tightly with plastic wrap so that no air or odors from the fridge can go inside the Tiramisu.

If you want to freeze it, prepare as described, wrap it tightly, and chill it for 4 hours in the fridge. Then transfer to the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge for 24 hours. Dust with cocoa before serving.

More European desserts to try

If you are looking for European desserts, you've come to the right place. Here are some of my favorite European classics.

  • Sacher Torte
  • Black Forest Cake
  • Croissant
  • Bee Sting Cake
  • Chocolate Mousse
  • Flan
  • Eclairs
  • Cream Puffs

Recipe

A slice of tiramisu on a plate

Authentic Italian Tiramisu Recipe

4.97 from 127 votes
Author Sabine
Calories: 306kcal
Servings: 12 servings
Prep 20 minutes minutes
Chill 8 hours hours
Total 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Print Pin Rate
Tiramisu is an espresso-flavored dessert from Italy. It's made of coffee-dipped ladyfingers with sweetened mascarpone cream and dusted with cocoa before serving.

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 large egg yolks, cold
  • 1 cup unpacked powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 ¼ cups full-fat mascarpone, cold
  • 27-36 Italian ladyfingers (hard ones)
  • ½ cup cooled brewed espresso or strong coffee
  • 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until creamy and the sugar is completely dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the mascarpone and mix on medium speed just until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
  • Quickly dip both sides of the ladyfingers into the coffee, 1 to 2 seconds per side, and arrange 9 to 12 ladyfingers on the bottom of a 9 x 7 x 3–inch (23 x 18 x 8 cm) or 8 x 8 x 3–inch (20 x 20 x 8 cm) casserole dish. The necessary amount of ladyfingers will depend on the size of the ladyfingers as well as that of the casserole dish. The required amount of coffee depends on how long you dip the ladyfingers and how much they soak up. I don’t recommend soaking the ladyfingers for too long; otherwise, the Tiramisu will end up very watery.
  • Spread about one-third of the mascarpone cream on top of the ladyfingers. Repeat twice more, so that the Tiramisu is assembled as follows from bottom to top: ladyfingers + cream, ladyfingers + cream, ladyfingers + cream.
  • Wrap the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap so that no air or odors from the fridge can get inside the tiramisu. Refrigerate overnight for about 8-12 hours. Before serving, dust the top lightly with cocoa powder. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

 
**Consuming raw eggs is at your own risk.**

Video

You can find the video in the post above. If you don't see a video, please check your browser settings.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 6gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 51mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 744IUCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Keyword authentic italian tiramisu recipe, authentic tiramisu, tiramisu, tiramisu recipe
Did you make this recipe?Leave a feedback and rate this recipe!
« Double Chocolate Muffins
Chocolate Cream Pie »

About Sabine

Sabine is a professional baker, cookbook author, and award-winning food photographer.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rimmi

    April 12, 2021 at 1:00 am

    5 stars
    Incredibly detailed recipe and very easy to follow. This is my favorite dessert and it turned out great. Thanks for all the tips!

    Reply
  2. Constantin

    February 05, 2021 at 1:17 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe and super easy to make. This is my first time making tiramisu and it went very well. I didn’t have the right container so mine has is a little higher than the usual but it tasted amazing!

    Reply
  3. Becky

    January 22, 2021 at 10:48 am

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. Tiramisu is my favorite dessert. This recipe is awesome I have made several times and my husband and son both love it. I have tried other recipes and they were okay but not anything like this one. Thank you.

    Reply
  4. Shraddha

    January 21, 2021 at 1:50 pm

    5 stars
    Hands down one of the best Tiramisus I have had. I tried the eggless version and ended using more coffee but it was spot on. Thank you

    Reply
  5. RC

    January 01, 2021 at 4:29 pm

    5 stars
    Awesome recipe! It's my favorite but I've always hesitated trying to make it, thinking it would be hard to make. But this recipe is so easy to follow and all the notes and tips were so helpful! Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Marijke

    December 25, 2020 at 6:56 am

    5 stars
    This was my first time making Tiramisu and it is the best dessert I've EVER made! 😍 I did add Kaluah but the texture and consistency was spot on.

    Reply
  7. Charity Cunningham

    December 23, 2020 at 10:38 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is fantastic!!! The hubs and I have been craving tiramisu from our favorite Italian restaurant, but haven’t gone in ages (thanks Covid!). I made this today and we enjoyed it tonight and deemed it better than we’ve have had!! I did omit the eggs, added 1/2 c heavy cream and a few light pours of Kahlua to the cream and the coffee. Delicious!!!

    Reply
  8. Americo

    December 19, 2020 at 10:08 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for your recipe. I have been looking all over the web for an authentic Italian recipe and yours is the first I have found. I have given the recipe 5 stars before even making it because I believe that it is the real deal. I was under the impression that the real Italian version is often made with Zabaglione rather with no heat at all. Is that true? Sounds real Italian to me. BTW, what subs would you make to use Kalua or other coffee based liquors for flavor? Thanks for your great recipe. I am going to make it for Christmas.

    Reply
    • Sabine

      December 22, 2020 at 6:20 am

      You will find different authentic tiramisu recipes from Italy but this one is my favorite and does not contain any alcohol. And originally, Tiramisu does not contain alcohol. Zabaglione is made of egg yolks, sugar, and sweet wine and can be used as a basis for the mascarpone cream. If you want to add liquor I suggest adding 1 tbsp to the mascarpone cream and 2 tbsp to the coffee. Hope that helps! Happy holidays!

      Reply
  9. Charlotte

    December 01, 2020 at 10:39 am

    5 stars
    I made this for my boyfriend's birthday as Tiramisu is one of his favourite desserts. The recipe worked perfectly and was easy to follow. I used dry marsala wine (in the mascarpone and in the espresso mix) instead of rum and it was very tasty. I needed a bit more espresso liquid than the recipe stated so had to make a second brew, but otherwise the recipe was great. Delish!!

    Reply
  10. daniel

    November 30, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    5 stars
    Hi! I was wondering why you don't use egg whites or heavy cream in this recipe. will it make it less airy?

    Reply
    • Sabine

      December 01, 2020 at 4:47 am

      Hi Daniel, an original Italian Tiramisu recipe doesn't use egg whites nor heavy cream. It's a creamy but no airy dessert. You absolutely can add heavy cream or egg whites if you prefer though. I hope that helps!

      Reply
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